Another adult with SPD

by South
(NYC)

I'm 24 years old and I've had SPD my whole life, but only discovered the "term" for it a few years ago. I'm hypersensitive to touch, texture, sounds, and tastes mostly. I've been able to deal better as I age, like I've become less sensitive to sounds and am trying to force myself to try new foods. Dad doesn't believe in SPD and thinks I'm "trying to be difficult," which is kind of amusing since I've been this way ever since infancy. Mom talks about how I used to complain about how people smelled as a toddler and I have congenitally low muscle tone. I can't do simple things other people take for granted, like going to the beach, because sand bothers me so much. Interestingly, I'm not on the Autistic Spectrum, though I did have OCD symptoms throughout my childhood and adolescence. SPD is definitely real: I don't want to be this way, it's not a choice, it's a neurological condition. It makes life challenging for me and people don't understand the ways I experience the world and often invalidate my struggles.